The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Yotrenton.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars with desirable inflorescence form and floret colors and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in December, 1993, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as YB-4149 as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum cultivar Claro, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,946 as the male, or pollen parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor in May, 1995, as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colors and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Salinas, Calif. in July, 1995. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yotrenton has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yotrentonxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yotrentonxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Upright, outwardly spreading, compact and uniformly mounded plant habit.
2. Dense, full plants.
3. Uniform flowering response.
4. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
5. Large decorative-type inflorescences that are about 9.8 cm in diameter; excellent inflorescence form retention.
6. White-colored ray florets.
7. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform in plant habit and flowering than plants of the female parent, the cultivar Claro. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent, the selection YB-4149, differ primarily in ray floret coloration.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar, White Diamond, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,059, in the following characteristics:
1. Inflorescence form of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is more formal and tidier than inflorescence form of plants of the cultivar White Diamond.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar White Diamond.
3. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is more white than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar White Diamond.
4. Foliage of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is stronger and less likely than plants of the cultivar White Diamond to break down under low light production conditions.
5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have stronger stems than plants of the cultivar White Diamond.